


Operation Red Bird

by Wonder_chick2210



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Hux Backstory, Hux is Not Nice, Injured Hux, Interrogation, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Not Related, Other, War, captured hux
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-04-23 22:51:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14342649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonder_chick2210/pseuds/Wonder_chick2210
Summary: Loosing in the war, the resistance aim to gain the upper hand by capturing General Hux.





	1. Footing

The vast black sky dominated the night, littered with constellations of stars shining bright in contrast with the dark. Each one brighter than the next; blending into an barren landscape of wonder whilst concealing an unseen danger. The stars shudder and fade as embers and smoke dance like fireflies. Below a resistance airfield burns; X-wings lay collapsed with bloodied personnel bodies scattered on the concrete. The heated blasts of a flamethrower return to its nozzle as Stormtroopers retrieve supplies and carry them back to the transport ships. Overseeing, a man watches from behind the tinted glass of his command shuttle, flanked by officers, his red hair fighting with as much contrast to dark as the embers themselves.

“Cargo secured, General.” His lieutenant confirms. The leaders only sign of acknowledgment– a lip curls to a smirk.  
“Finally.” He turns from the viewport to take a seat. “Commence with preparation for departure”.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Feet pound concrete as distant screams and blaster fire create a soundscape to the static filled visual recording of security footage from the destroyed base that was Vector 9. It was an ambush; with no warning the crew stood little chance against the barrage of white clad soldiers as they materialised through the smoke of one of the downed X-wings. A lone private rushes to the datapads, desperately transmitting information and pleading for a help that would never have arrived in time regardless. The image cuts out as a final laser shot hits its target. The command room stands in quiet shock and despair. Poe kicks the table base, echoing a bang as he slides into a seat running a hand through his hair.  
‘Dammit!” General Organa remains unblinking, shedding a single tear as Rey exits the room unable to listen the remaining audio of her suffering friends last moments. 

She hadn’t spent much time on that base but it was enough to pick up on a few faces. Her legs gave way as she slipped to the floor outside the command room, head in her hands and knees to her chest, somehow believing this was her fault. The command doors slide open as Finn steps out and slips down the wall beside her.  
“We could have helped.” Rey sobs.  
“No we couldn’t.”  
“Yes we could. They had to have planned this, known how to find the base somehow. I was just there, if I had just stayed an extra day I could hav-“  
“Have what! Been killed yourself. What good would that have done?” Rey stays quiet. Finn moves his arm around her shoulders, head resting into a comforting embrace. “There was nothing we could do, we didn’t know Hux was planning an attack, we had as much warning as Vector 9.”

The command doors slide open once more as the captains and council members pass through the bunker hallways back to their duties. General Organa stands in the doorway inclining her head back into the room “Rey, Finn.” They stand and follow her back inside. Finn giving Rey a pat on the back as they enter. Poe remains where he was seated but raises his head as they take a seat across from him. Leia waits until they are settled before she speaks.  
“Once again I must ask for all your help. General Hux must have found our informant for him to know the base location, we have lost too many and too much for the Order to gain an opportunity like this again.”  
“But we still need our eyes in their ranks, we can’t pull the spies” Poe perks up.  
“No, our spies will remain however we must try to inform them of this situation to prevent risk of further exposure. To gain a lead we must gain an upper hand, something to stand on and give us time to get footing in a retaliation strike.”  
“So what you got in mind?” Leia watched her three comrades as they stare back at with intrigued confusion.  
“Rey, Finn, Poe. We are going to apprehend General Hux.”


	2. Hustle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stage 1 - set the bait

105 Coruscant rotations later…

CANTO BIGHT

Despite their success in infiltrating the rebel base, work had since been piling up alongside the added headache of Ren turning one of the Finalizer’s last remaining cooling units into a pile of mangled metalwork. With the internal temperature quickly rising, Hux’s beloved ship was in need of repairs and currently docked by the nearest spaceport. Hux however, had found himself taking some long over due vacation days to attend the annual “charity” races on Canto Bight. As his command shuttle was guided into it’s designated landing pad Hux couldn’t help but marvel at his own reflection in his private suite, a brand new suit tailored just for the occasion complete with embroidered First Order insignia. He was proud and appearances are important after all but with Canto Bight bringing in some of the largest portions of the Orders stocks it was only fitting that he accepted the invitation whilst passing by. Besides, there was an old friend he had been meaning to check in on. Exiting the shuttle he is welcomed by a deep red carpet and handed a glass of something sweet yet steaming, though Hux is no fool – he’s a hot target - numerous attempts on his life have trained him well to watch his own back. Taking the drink with no intention of downing it he makes his way to the main lounge with his small crew of officers. He wasn’t much fond of those who had accompanied him; Phasma insisted upon them being the best should any kind of fracas ensue. As if he wasn’t capable of looking out for himself, he was however grateful that Lt. Mitaka had joined him. The introverted lieutenant appeared nervous enough but the General knew better when it came to his loyal hound with a hidden bite. It took a lot to earn Hux’s respect, he knew all to well of the necessary steps in obtaining a high rank whilst so young – of course you can’t get there without slitting a few throats.  
“No recognised hostiles in eye line, sir”.  
“Noted Lieutenant. Having invited us I expect they are trying to impress.” Mitaka attempts to conceal a smirk at that.  
“I assume for discounted rates?”  
“Indeed, though they fail to realise the First Order does not participate in hustles”. Hux catches the glance of an older Neimodian take notice of him and preparing to make his way over. He turns back to Mitaka.  
“Blasters to stun, coms on”, with a short nods Mitaka and signals the rest of his party split off amongst the crowd as Hux turns to meet the man approaching him. Every once in a few megacycles he certainly enjoyed a little leisure time to himself but he was not particularly fond of spending it in the company of those who are desperate for his attention. 

The pale humanoid watched him through his red orb eyes, Hux almost scoffed at the pondering thought of the missing mechno-chair.  
“General Hux, it is an honour to finally meet you face to face. Thank you for accepting our invitation. It is not often we have our customers so close to home.”  
Ah, Hux’s thoughts hummed, so this must be the host.  
“It would have been rude of me to decline. The Order has a vast business history sourced from this planet; your own investments towards our star destroyers tactile supplies have been greatly appreciated. I had been meaning to visit with a show of gratitude and on behalf of the Supreme Leader of course. What better of an opportunity?”  
Simply put Hux really had no intention nor did he care, dealing was not his problem but the being in front of him seemed to have perked up at the statement.  
“Glad to hear of our products success first hand General, and to much more in the future to come,” he raised his glass as Hux mirrored with a short nod. “The race will be commencing shortly, would you care to watch from our private booth?”  
“I’d be humbled to accept the offer, but there is some business I’d like to attend to before we depart. We did not plan on staying for too long, if you’ll excuse me?”  
“Of course General, it was a pleasure. Please enjoy the drinks and entertainment.”  
At that Hux made a quick exit from the crowed lounge, avoiding numerous eyes seeking to make contact with his own. He was never much of a socialite despite his reputations, there was somewhere of much more interest he’d rather be. Outside was pleasantly warm with a cool breeze; he made his way down the steps from the cliff edge palace towards the racetrack below. The noise of other guests drowned out to a shallow echo as the scent of salted sea air filled his senses, he headed for the quiet stables. 

From the Casino balcony his movements were watched. Suited to a level of fine detail Poe Dameron’s gaze followed the General over the rim of his glass. Beside him Rey nodded to the unspoken commencement of their plan, turning on heal her flowing beige gown was a picture of pure elegance as she followed Hux’s path, making her way down the same steps towards the stables below. 

No one in the stable yard questioned his presence, though the young slaves couldn’t help but glance curiously. Hux swallowed what pity he felt, there were worse places these children could be trapped in the vast galaxy. Passing numerous stalls the dusty smell was both overwhelming and nostalgic for Hux, reminding him of his days spent on Joiol chasing down turbofoxes. A guard recognised him, inkling his head towards a corner stable and passing Hux a keypad. Taking it with a nod of thanks whilst approaching the large durasteel door. With a single click of the pad the locking lights changed from a deep red to green and the door slid open. It had been years since Hux had visited his old friend and this check-in was long over due, he grinned proudly as his large white Fathier stepped away from its food to greet him with a low nicker. Removing his gloves, Hux reached a hand to the gentle giant allowing it to investigate his scent as it lowered its head towards him. Though the long-eared beast had other ideas and headed straight for his pockets with learned experience in knowing a treat was hidden. Hux couldn’t hide his amusement.  
“You are too intelligent Sorrel - I trust they have been keeping you well”. He gave up the sweetened treat quickly earning an appreciative nudge on the shoulder.  
“I would never have thought the legendary General of the First Order to be a Fathier whisperer”. Years of well-trained reflexes contained a flinch as the feminine toned voice caught Hux off guard. Turning to look over his shoulder as Rey approached him.

Stay sharp and keep to the plan. That was Poe’s parting words as they left the operations room on D’Qar. For said plan to be successful sharpness was not the only requirement. Everyone knew their role as equally as they knew Hux was as cunning as a Nexu and equally as dangerous when cornered. Finn had of course been concerned with Rey’s voluntary position, he had provided the resistance with all the information he knew of Hux from his time on the man’s ship but Rey knew their biggest – if not risky – asset was that Hux does not know her face. That’s what she hoped at least; thankfully her suspicion was confirmed with the lack of defence from the red headed man in front of her as he hummed in response to her words.  
“Hardly, though unlike most on this rock I appreciate them for the creatures they are.”  
“She’s beautiful.” The Fathier tilted its massive head towards her as she promptly scratched its ear with a smile. “Is she yours?” Hux hummed again with a nod.  
“She was destined for the meat trade on Nal Hutta - odd place to find a Fathier - I spotted her whilst attending a meeting. Her breeding isn’t that of a pedigree but her skills put her amongst the best. Now it seems you know who I am but I apologies in my ignorance of not knowing your name”  
A faint buzzing slipped into Rey’s attention; Poe’s warning left her almost struggling to keep her focus. Someone was coming.  
“Rose” The name came out quickly, she’d make a mental note to apologies to the real one later. “Umm, it’s Rose.”  
“Hmm, well Rose. To what do I owe the pleasure of you following me down here and leaving your companion to finish his drink alone.” Rey stalled, Finn wasn’t kidding; this guy doesn’t miss a trick.  
“My ‘Companion’ is an admirer, he would like to offer the Order something of interest.”  
“Would he now, and why pray tell could he not have delivered it himself?”  
“Allergies” She nodded to Sorrel as Hux smirked.  
“Alright, and what is it that may be of interest to me?” Now Rey could hear the approaching footsteps behind her.  
“An internal notification of a small rebel operation based on Lah’mu” Again Poe’s voice echoed in her thought, ‘It’ll take some bait to get him to bite personally’ Finn followed in agreement ‘Anything that could boost his ego would gain his attention, something he wouldn’t want Ren taking credit for’. “They claim to have found the lost stars of Nallastia.” Hux’s eyes narrowed at that as his back stiffened. He stalked closer to Rey breathing deeply in thought as he studied her.  
“What’s your play?” Rey held fast and refused to break his gaze as he took the bait. The footsteps behind her coming to a stop, by the lacking of a reaction from Hux she assumed he knew their owner.

“No secrets, simply an investment towards the First Order’s success. A relic such as that could be devastating in the hands of Rebel scum, not to mention is rarity – I’d assume a high praise would be given to its retriever. As I said, my companion is an admirer.” Hux continued to study her for a few moments longer; she could practically see the gears turning in his head for a flaw in her speech. The only interruption was a hushed voice from behind.  
“Sir, word from the unit base.” Lt. Mitaka chirped as he broke the silence with a sense of urgency. Hux stepped back from Rey, finally breaking his icy stare to adjust his coat.  
“Your information is noted, please pass on my regards to your companion.” With a last parting treat to Sorrel he began to make his way out of the stables with Mitaka. “Thank you, Rose. I hope our paths shall cross again.” And with that they were gone.  
Rey let out the breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. ‘Red Bird traveling’ came over the coms in her ear; Hux and his team had left promptly.  
‘Rey, you ok?’ Poe sounded concerned.  
‘I’m fine. He took to bait.’ Relieved she slumped against the stall door as Sorrel returned to investigate. Her silk nose nuzzled at Rey’s hair earning a laugh. The Fathier was well cared for indeed, with much more weight than the others and a larger stall. With respect towards her obvious wellbeing, Hux seemed true to his word of caring about her, the cold man had shown compassion and he clearly valued his property. Rey couldn’t help but wonder as she patted the beast one last time before making her way back to Poe. He waited on the top step for her, continuing they act as a couple until exiting the casino and setting off in their own shuttle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So again I apologize for any typos! I'm new to this. The idea for this story came to me in a dream so I'm hoping you all enjoy the madness of my subconscious! I suck at first chapters also, so lets start kicking things off from here!


	3. Intel

Though visiting Sorrel had been pleasant, Hux was more than relieved to see Canto Bight growing smaller in the viewport as his shuttle launched into hyperdrive. The planet had its uses he had to admit, much of the First Order would not be possible without its initial funding or trading posts but he simply could not be bothered with such designated neutral zones. You were either with or against the Order in his mind and with past experiences on such zones almost costing him his life on a number of occasions, his opinion remained unchanged. Despite the supposed peace rules the location made a perfect opportunity for enemies to target him without causing any uproar - of course, given the opportunity himself to take down a head rebellion member he wouldn’t hesitate – but for that reason alone he preferred to avoid them never mind attend a political party. When his shuttle finally made it back to the docked Finalizer, the ship was entering its night synthetic time-cycle. His evening had seemed to go on for hours, now cutting into his already scarce off-duty time and still there were a number of reports needing his input alongside overseeing the agenda for his morning staff. 

 

Exiting the shuttle and making his way through the hangar, Mitaka stayed close to his flank as the rest of his officer’s dispersed to their own duties. He was relieved to find Phasma had held off on the usual welcoming committee, opting to see to his return personally. She too joined his side during the lengthy journey to the bridge, filling him in on updates during his absence. It didn’t take much for her to notice his usually fluid gate was faltered as he tread on strained feet, his eyes darkening with overtiredness – certainly not an appearance he enjoys portraying in public. Right now all he wanted was that sweet corellian whiskey on the rocks he could practically hear calling on him from his private quarters.  
“Successful trip sir?” Phasma’s voice mused through her helmet.  
“If you class a stellar headache as a success then yes. I’d rather have spent my evening in the cells” Hux snorted sarcastically. Phasma’s tone was not unknown to him, she was one of the very few in his inner circle he trusted enough to consider a friend. That circle consisted of three candidates; herself, Mitaka and his much loved Millicent.  
“Though it did prove to be insightful.” Phasma curiously tilted her helmet towards him.  
“How so?”  
“A tip off…Mitaka.”  
“Sir?” The lieutenant chirped up, falling into step beside him.  
“The host of this evening was a Neimodian, by the name of Helix Pultray. He ought to have a log of tonight’s guests and therefore a contact list. If he was able to transmit to our private line then I assume he has details for others or at the very least security footage from the casino. I need an intel report on a human female named Rose.”  
“The girl from the stables. Right away.” Mitaka replied with a stiff nod before splitting off into a side corridor towards the communications ward. Finding information was the mans specialty – even with little to go on Hux trusted he would deliver results.  
“You met with a girl in a stable? Classy.” Phasma snorted a laugh, if only the redhead’s looks could kill.

 

Almost half way across the galaxy, Poe and Rey land their small cargo shuttle at the resistance’s new base of operations on Naboo. Thankful to be back in their comfort zone, they both certainly felt out of place on the surface of Canto Bight. Poe took a deep sigh of relief in response to their long trip home – both were as tired as the other but overall they knew they had been successful. Now was just a waiting game.  
“Anything I should know before we debrief?” Poe spun in his pilots chair to face her. They barely spoke of what happened on the route home – more concerned with exiting the planet without drawing attention and slipping under the first orders radar. Rey breathed deeply knowing he would bring up what happened, of course he would want a heads up to come up with a plan A, B and a C before speaking with Leia.  
“Other than Hugsy-boy having a thing for Fathiers I mean.” Rey rolled her eyes.  
“He was visiting the one he owns”  
“Pfft - snob…” Poe snorted under his breath. “ok – from the get go, what happened? What he say?”  
“hmm…well I met him in the stables, he was with his Fathier – Sorrel, at first he spoke of how he got her --  
“Good – he’s attached to something, we can use that.” Rey narrowed her eyes in warning; the beast certainly couldn’t be blamed simply for who owned it.  
“Anyway, he knew we were watching him from the balcony – he didn’t know why specifically or who we were but he was aware. So I cut straight to the point and told him we had intel on the Rebellion, which got his attention. But he was strange…”  
“Strange? Strange how?” Poe frowned.  
“I couldn’t read him – with the force I mean. It was like he was just blank, I could see him physically but his signature and thoughts weren’t present.”  
“You think Hux can use the force?” Poe stiffened, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of what she was describing.  
“No – not exactly. I’d know if he was strong with the force – that’s different, but he has experience with it and can block me out I think. He didn’t react on whether or not he knew I was trying to tap into him but either way it was like slamming into a wall. I couldn’t see through it.”  
Poe hummed after a short silence, taking on board what she said but with little knowledge of how to help her solve it – Leia was best in that department. His own understanding of the force was only that of legend, party-tricks and Ren’s torture methods.  
“Maybe Ren showed him a thing or two?”  
“Maybe…” Rey sighed, her instincts doubting that thought. “Other than that he appreciated the intel. One of his guards interrupted us and he left quickly. That was it”  
“OK. ” He nodded biting his lower lip in thought. After a moment he locked off the shuttle and stood from his chair, Rey stood also and followed as he turned back to her. “Thank you Rey, this was a big risk and one we may never have been able to pull off without your help. He would have known me or someone else instantly; I know I couldn’t have even stood next to him without sucker punching his smug face anyway. He took the bait…we have the advantage, now we just need to play our cards right.”  
The ramp lowered as they both exited the shuttle

 

No matter how many times Rey stepped foot on the planets lush soil she couldn’t contain her amazement at the amount of greenery. Much like Takonda, the planet was teaming with life – where Rey’s horizon once saw only endless dunes and a scorching sun it was now surrounded by the purifying mists of the cascading waterfalls and rich treelines. The people of Naboo had been one of the first to respond to the resistance’s plea following the attack on the Hosnian System. The planets adored Senator Thadlé Berenko, had been attending a meeting on Hosnian Prime when the First Order activated Starkiller Base, killing billions. Rey quickly learned of the planets history and past clashes with the Empire, the current population were both angry and hoping the make amends for their ancestors mistakes. Regardless of the past, Rey was thankful the new alliance had rekindled the hope in the resistance – allowing them safety and a chance to rebuild what they lost. Her train of thought was disrupted by the familiar ecstatic chirping of BB-8 as he raced forward to welcome them home.  
“Hey buddy! Great to see ya too!” Poe grinned as he crouched down to BB-8’s level.  
Rey couldn’t help but laugh as the potty-mouthed droid began spewing its lists of annoyances in his masters absence, particularly something to do with sharing a recharge station C3-PO causing flares to his neuro-circuitry. Turning to continue into the hanger Rey barley had time to react as she was pulled into the massive furry arms of an excited roaring Wookie.  
“Omph – h--hey..chewie” Rey gasped out in the strong grip as she is lifted off the ground before releasing her.  
“Rey!” Just as she caught her breath is was forced again from her as Finn grabbed her into an embrace and looked her over with a concerned scowl. “You ok? Thank stars. What happened -- Did he do anything!? I can’t believe you went ahead with it, if he laid a finger on you I swear -- ”  
“Finn! I’m fine…and no nothing happened. We just talked.” Rey’s stretched out her arms as if to further prove her point, the admission lightly simmered the fire in his nerves but she could still clearly read the suspicion.  
“She was amazing.” Poe added as he passed them with a pat on the back to Finn, BB8 following at his heels as he headed back into the rock-concealed base.  
“I’ll fill you in, but first I need to get out of this dress.”  
Finn nodded in defeat, cooling his concern as they followed Poe out of the landing bay and back indoors.

 

Leaving the bridge in somewhat capable hands of Captain Peavey, Hux was glad to finally shut the door on his hectic lifestyle and collapse onto the king size bed within the peaceful confines of his private quarters. Taking a deep sigh of relief he ran his hands from his gel stiffened hair to the bridge of his nose. The bridge crew could hardly live through a solarcycle without him, he couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take the Finalizer to crash under their watch – much of it was simply down to a lack of common sense, never mind added pressure through terror by Ren. The man often avoided his personnel but Hux knew in his absence the oaf took some kind of amusement in tormenting and enforcing an understanding of rules. Brushing off the growing annoyance, he stood and changed from his uniform to a more comfortable lounge wear before making his way over to a small personal galley. Finding the bottle of Whiskey his brain so desperately craved and pouring some into a glass, he then moved to the adjacent room to take a seat in the living area. He was greeted by an excited and slightly sleepy ‘Meeeuuu’ as a ginger mass scurried from the sofa to encircle his legs.  
“Peace at last Millie”. The small feline peered up at him.  
Hux sat long into the night, sipping the glass whilst hovering through his datapad giving little attention to the words on the pages. With work finally finished he rubs at his brow, stifling a yawn.  
“A long night indeed, come along. Bed”, Hux rose from the chair as Millicent ran towards the far bedroom.  
As he too made his way to the room the light buzz of his personal coms caught his attention. He glanced to the name with an irritated eye roll which could practically be felt by the man on the other end of the line.  
“What?”  
“S-sir, I have a contact” Mitaka stuttered at his superior's tone, the General’s lack of an answer providing a hint for him to continue. “...for the girl.”  
“Forward it to me. Now.”  
Hux picked up his data pad, within moments the file downloaded and displayed on his screen.  
"It was an open line sir, linked to a CR90 Corvette. Analysis tracking sourced it from...um"  
"Lieutenant."  
"S-sorry Sir...um...analysis tracking sourced it from Alderaan."  
"That's impossible." Hux growled low, his brow furrowed.  
"It may have been sold on Sir? We got a radar ping from the cruiser in the Outer Rim, the Raioballo Sector."  
Hux hummed to himself, the Raioballo Sector certainly coincides with Rose's claim. If she and her companion had been studying the area and stumbled upon the rebel base it would make sense for their ship to remain in close proximity to gain further intel.  
"Alright, I want a level 9 meeting within two hours. Let us see if the girl can be a trustworthy source".  
"Yes Sir, right away." With that Mitaka canceled the line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long over due update! I've finally got a feel for this again after some writers block and general life getting in the way. Next chapter is in the works!


	4. Contact

“We gotta ping!” Rose hollered to Lt Connix, her echo bouncing off the cave walls and drowning out the rain. Almost all heads stopped their work to pause to look her direction.  
“Inform the General.” Poe ordered C3-PO through clenched teeth as he sprinted with Finn to the communications area under the nose of the corvette. He watched as the green text formed on the blackened screen. The tension in the rebellion base could be cut with a knife.

“Others? So far out, are you sure?” Rey questioned in confusion.  
“Yes, the planet has its history, but its resources remain. The outpost would be the best place to start.” Leia explained  
“And you are sure he would be willing to help, an outpost like that sounds like trouble.”  
“These are desperate times Rey, we stand our best chance if we find him and gain the knowledge of how to pass beyond. The intel within the Falcon can get you there undetected and without suspicion.” Rey sighed with understanding.  
“And where will I find him?” She asked. Leia took a breath to answer before being cut-off by an all too familiar shriek.  
“General! General! My apologies!” C3-PO stuttered as he entered the tunnel of Leia’s chambers, both women looked up as the golden mech interrupted their conversation.  
“What is it C3?” Leia rolled her eyes.  
“General, Lady Rey. A-a ping. We have received a ping. With an incoming message from the Finalizer transmitting as we speak!” With that they both glanced to each other and were out the doorway in seconds. When they arrived at the station Comander D’Acy was now helming the receiver as Rose took point on the tracking systems.  
“General, message received and awaiting response.” D’Acy informed stiffly as both Leia and Rey read the screen:

*FOTrans Incoming…: FAO Rose, testing communications. Do you receive. GH*

Rey bit her lip with anticipation, they were all counting on Hux taking the bait and now it was happening. Months of planning and waiting now lay on a fine thread. Leia nodded to D’Acy and motioned for Rey to take up the main chair, she swapped quickly, Poe and Finn giving her space with halted breath as they all watched her type a response.

*GH receiving you clearly. A pleasure to hear from you General, we had hoped you’d find our contact. Rose.*

Hux scanned the words on the meeting room display for any telling clues, his gut instincts were untrusting but if this proved to be valuable, he would be a fool to miss out on the opportunity. Joining him was Phasma and Mitaka, alongside a young Ensign Tiero who was assisting with the transmission tracking. Mitaka scanned and compared the coding of each transmission, ensuring complete security for the conversation as Hux continued typing.

*Not an easy find, I can assure you.*  
*What can I say, we like to keep things incognito as I’m sure you can understand General.*  
*Of course. Now, you spoke of a rebel base upon Lah’mu?*  
*I did and as stated I would like to assist with contribution towards to First Order’s success.*

There was a pause in the exchange, the rebellion members watched the flickering dots in anticipation. Leia looked to Rose, whose concentration was now upon the scanning systems trying to pin point the location of the Flagship. The Gungans had given them all the help they could for the rebellion cause but their advanced technology by far was the most welcoming asset.

Thousands of miles away, Hux was frowning, her words also catching Phasma’s attention.  
“Had you not mentioned it was her companion’s interests?” The Caption questioned. Hux tightened his lips, his eyes narrowed as he resumed.

*And what of your companion?*

Rey startled slightly, Hux knew Poe had been present as her companion but she quickly reminded herself that the pair had never interacted at event. There was no evidence for his role to have significance. Poe nodded in agreement with her unspoken resolve. Not a moment later, Rose raised her hand in silent confirmation, they had a tab on Hux’s ship – currently docked at a repairs station over Ord Pardron. Good, she thought, it doesn’t look like they’ll be moving anytime soon.

*An unlucky run in with a Lassat. The offer remains strong with me.*  
*At what cost?*  
*None. The offer remains as does the terms...if you are still interested*  
*We are interested. Very well, you may transmit the intel via this line.*  
*No transmissions General. Collection only.*

Phasma stiffened beside him, he didn’t need her to speak to know what she was thinking. Hux looked to Tiero, the young man shaking his head.  
“Trackers are blank, Sir.” Hux sighed in response. Cloaked ships were a nuisance but nothing new. Handy when covering one’s own tracks but irritating when trying to gain information. Phasma shifted to speak.  
“Don’t say it.” Hux raised a single finger to cut her off but his mind already filled in her words, ‘it’s a trap’, is not what he needed to hear.  
“Yet you know it is. Only a fool would walk into it.”  
“Perhaps…” Hux drawled as he returned to typing.

*Very well. Where shall we rendezvous?*  
*I’ll send you my coordinates General, and see you then*

The connection was cut, within moments the Ensign was nodding in confirmation at receiving the data. Hux drew a long breath.  
“Coordinates: -458.24 , 9225.62, Sir. Her ship is above atmosphere of Ahakista.”  
“Good. That will be all” Hux said nodding to Mitaka and Tiero who promptly exited the meeting room. Once quiet Hux ran his hands through his hair to the bridge of his nose.  
“Looks like you got yourself a second date” Phasma hummed in amusement.  
“Shut up.” He growled with an eye roll. “And one thing, I want this kept under wraps from Ren. The last thing I need is him or his knights interfering, this could be a promising lead.” The oaf had been thankfully out of Hux’s hair for weeks whilst on his not-so-secret force hunt and Hux much preferred the peace. But with his aerial coordinators informing him of Ren’s pilot’s return request for coordinates, the general knew his solace was short lived.  
“Of course, which squadron would you prefer?”  
“None, Lets keep it inconspicuous. I’ll take my command shuttle with Mitaka and leave Peavey to command the bridge. You’ll have my beacon should I require any support. I’d like to be out of here within the next 2 hours.”  
“Leave it to me, Sir” Phasma nodded with Hux returning his own in thanks as the pair exited the small room.

At the rebel base, breaths were still being held. The transmission had long ended but the tension amongst the camp was high and Rey could feel it heavy on her shoulders. She had faith in her plan, they had laid the foundations successfully but now it was up to her to play the cards and win this perilous game. All their other plans were on hold. For once, she was thankful for her time on Jakku, watching and learning trickery from the hustlers to gain her best shot at survival and credits. To her, this was no different to a game of Sabacc, a game to be respectful yet merciless. She could do this, her friends believed in her and the force was whispering her on. For that reason, she had hope as she waved goodbye out of the narrow cockpit window. The old Corvettes engines roaring to life and scattering the gathered water across its surface. The ship hovered out from the caves canopy before setting off into the planet’s atmosphere. Entering the same coordinates she had given to Hux, Rey closed her eyes tight shut with a moment of concentration before hitting the last switch and sending the ship into hyperspace.

**Author's Note:**

> First fic in a while and first time covering star wars. I work in Film/ TV so mainly used to writing scripts and hoping this makes sense. This idea has been in my head for weeks and I just had to get it out. BIG plans but for now a taster whilst I write the other chapters. (sorry for any typos)


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